As previously referenced in my second article post (A
Short History of Greaser Subculture), I briefly discussed the formation of the
term “greaser.” The term did not relate to the greaser styled hair,
surprisingly. “Greaser” was originally used as a derogatory remark against
Mexicans. It was used in the southwest region of the US to reference jobs that
involved greasing wagon axles or animal hides.
Today, I’m going to dig
deeper into the formation, and implication of the Greaser Act. The creation of
the Greaser Act was influenced by the Mexican-American War in 1848. Euro-Americans
wanted to purify their culture, especially after the acquisition of newly
minted US states. The Gold Rush only worsened the discrimination, which caused
the public to enact numerous discrimination laws.
The Greaser Act was
amended in 1855. Its formal title is “The Vagrancy Act.” Its purpose was “to
protect honest people from the excesses of vagabonds… and generally all people
of Spanish or Indian blood.” (3) In this context, vagabond referred to those
who were labeled a “greaser.” That means, Native Americas could be targeted too
(as if they already were not).
Voltaire Network
explicitly described the injustices the law protected.
“That law allowed the police
to arrest, using force if is necessary, and to deport or send to forced labor
any person suspected of being a vagabond…The law authorized local militias to
impose terror against the Mexican community, to confiscate their property and
to lynch any recalcitrant individuals with impunity.” (3)
Even though the law was eventually repealed, it caused
lasting effects on these minority groups.
It is groundbreaking to
me to see a childhood relic of mine have such depth. To me, ‘greaser” just
meant gelled up hair and the aesthetic of a rebel. Greasers from the titular
subculture took something derogatory and gave support to those who felt like
outsiders.
Sources
“Greaser (derogatory)”. Wikipedia. Date Accessed 6
April, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greaser_(derogatory)
Creative Commons. Early US Race Laws Designed to
Protect White Employment. Voltaire
Network. 13 May, 2005. Date Accessed 6 April, 2017. http://www.voltairenet.org/article30264.html
